Apparatus for detecting the passage of railway cars



1937- .1. w. LOGAN, JR 2,089,835

APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE PASSAGE OF RAILWAY CARS Filed Oct. 31, 1935Center L022 01*" ID-aclc 11 2* V /:L/ I I Szandard Cogpler 164 17 5 2270 Center Line of Track.

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INVENTOR John WLoyan Jr.

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H115 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1937 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FORDETECTING THE PASSAGE OF RAILWAY CARS John W. Logan, Jr., Forest Hills,Pa., assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application October 31, 1935, Serial No.47,669

8 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for detecting the passage of railwaycars and particularly to apparatus by which the passage of cars isdetected optically.

The present invention is especially suitable for, although not limitedthereto, use in connection with track switches in gravity classificationyards. In such yards, the minimum spacing between cuts of cars which areto be classified is determined to a large extent by the lengthsor thedetector track circuits and the greater the spacing between cuts ofcars, the slower is the operation of the yard. It has been proposedheretofore to use optical means for detecting the passage of a car overa track switch to reduce to a min imum the spacing between cuts of cars.The cars to be classified include many having special bodyconstructions, some having a depressed center portion while others havea relatively high center portion. Consequently, 'a light beam directedacross a track for interception by the body of a car of standardconstruction may allow a period of noninterception at the middle ofa'car of such special construction with the result the switch operatingmeans may be momentarily unlocked and movement of the switch pointsstarted while such car is passing thereover. Again, a light beamdirected at right angles across the track passes between thecars'of acut of cars consisting of two or more cars coupled together and periodsduring whichtlie switch locking means is released may occur; When suchlight beam is directed across the'track not at right angles then theperiod of interceptio by a car is longer than is desirable. r

A feature of my invention is the provision of novel and improvedapparatus wherewith the passage of a railway car of whateverconstruction, and the passage of two or more cars coupled together, maybe detected without an interruption. That is, in the preferredembodiment of my .invention it is proposed to locate a source of lightand a light sensitive unit effectively influenced by a light beam fromsuch source in such a manner that the light beam is continuouslyintercepted throughout a complete passage of all kinds of cars and alsothroughout the complete passage of two or more cars coupled together.Other features and advantages of my invention will appear as thespecification progresses.

I will describe two forms of apparatus embodying my invention, and willthen point out the novel features thereof in claims.

' In the accompanying drawing-,Figs. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic views oftwo different forms 01f apparatus each of which embodies my in vention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the reference characters I" and la are the trackrails of a railway track, and the reference character V designates arailway car having the usual truck wheels 3 and land a car coupler 5.The significant thing about the car V to be here noted is the fact thatthe -coupler 5 is 2 ft. 10 in. above the top of the rails I and la, andwhich height is standard 'for'all car couplers whatever type of bodyconstruction the 'car may have. In accordance with universal practicethe coupler 5 centers at the center line of the track. c f l A lightsource unit 2 is mounted on the outer end of a track tie 8. The lightunit 2 may take difierent forms and as here shown includes a' source oflight such as an electric lamp B'placed in a suitable weatherproofhousing havingsecured therein a lens I for projecting alight beam. Thelamp 6 is supplied with current from any convenient source such as thesecondary -win-d' ing 9 of a transformer T, the primarywinding I0 ofwhich is connected with a generator not shown. This light unit 2 ispreferably construct- Q5 ed so as to extend little'if any above' the topof the rails, and is so positioned as to directla light beam across thetrack at a vertical angle as indicated by the dotted lines I I. Theupward slope of the light beam II is such that it crosses the centerline of the track at substantially 2' ft. 10 in. above the top of therails. That-is, the light beam I I is projected from the unit 2 acrossthe track substantially at right angles to'the rails and at a verticalangle such that the beam crosses the center line of the track at thestandard height of car couplers. It is apparent from an inspection ofFig. 1 that the railway car-Y may have a center portion depressed as lowas construction limits will permit, or it may have a body as high asclearance limits will or it may be a car of the usual body constructionand yet it will continuously intercept the light beam I I during thepassage of the car past. such I location. Furthermore, it is clear thatwhen 5 two or more cars coupled together pass the location of the lightbeam, there will benoperiods of noninterception due to the light beampassing between the cars. At the same time the light beam II will not beintercepted prior to; the arrival of the leading end of the car at the10- -cation and the beam will be cleared as soon as the rear end of thecar has passed by the location since, as stated hereinbeforathe beam isrelay M, the arrangement being such that when 1 the unit 12 is exposedto the light beam. II the relay I4 is energized and its front contact I5is closed, but that interception of the light beam causes the relay M tobecome deenergized and its back contact l6 closed. The relay l4 may beemployed to control over its contacts l5 and I6 a detector lock circuitfora track switch in the vicinity at which the light beam ll crosses thetrack or it may control any other signaling circuit desired. It follows,therefore, that normally the light beam ll eifectively influences thelight sensitive unit l2 and the relay I4 is picked up to close its frontcontact !5, but that the upward slope at which the light beam H crossesthe track is such that the beam is continuously intercepted during thepassage of all kinds of cars and during the passage of two or more carscoupled: together, and the relay I4 is continuously deenergized and itsback contact IE3 is closed during, such passage.

It is to be noted that the position of the unit 2 is such as not tointerfere with a man riding on the car step l1. That is, at least' oneof the optical units of the apparatus embodying my invention is solocated as not to interfere with a man riding on the car steps.Furthermore, it will be clear to all who arefamiliar with railway trackconstruction that the arrangement here disclosed is such as to permitthe unit 2 being located near switch frogs and other places where thespace between the rails is limited.

At locations where itis not practical to mount the light source unit 2on a track tie, it may be located on a separate foundation outside ofthe track as disclosed in Fig. 2. In such event the same. arrangement,of directing the light beam acrossthe track at a vertical angle suchthat the. light beam crosses the center line of the track at the carcoupler height of 2 ft. 10 in. would still be effected. The apparatuswhen arranged'in the manner disclosed in Fig. 2 will provide continuousinterception of the light beam during the passage of all kinds of carsand of two or more cars coupled together the same as in Fig. 1.Furthermore, it is clear that the light source unit 2 and the lightsensitive unit l2 may be reversed in locations and the light beam lldirected downward to cross the center line of thetrack at the carcoupler height and the same operation of the control apparatus obtainedshould it seem desirable to do so.

Although I have herein shown and described only two formsv of apparatusembodying my invention, it is understood that various changes andmodifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isi 1. Apparatus fordetecting the passage of railway cars along a track comprising, a lightsource located on one side of the track vertically disposed with respectto the height of car couplers above the top of the rails, said sourcepositioned to project a light beam across the track at right angle tothe track rails and at a vertical angle to cross the center line of thetrack at substantially the height of said car couplers, a lightsensitive unit located on the other side of the track in the path ofsaid light beam, and signaling means controlled by said unit.

2. Apparatus for detecting the passage of railway cars along a trackcomprising, a light source located on one side of the track and disposedto projecta light beam across the track at a vertical. angle such thatthe path of such light beam is intercepted by the car couplers as wellas by the car bodies, a light sensitive unit located on the other sideof the track and disposed in the path of said light beam, and signalingmeans controlled by said unit for uninterruptedly detecting the passageof a plurality of cars coupledtogether.

3.. Apparatus for detecting the passage of railway cars along a trackcomprising, a light source located on one side of the track and disposedbelow the standard height of car couplers, said source positioned toproject a light beam across the track at right angle to the track railsand. at a vertical angle such that the light beam intersects the centerline of the track at substantially said standard height of the carcouplers, a light sensitive unit located on the other side of the trackand disposed above the height of the car couplers to be in the path ofsaid light beam, and signaling means controlled by said unit foruninterruptedly detecting the passage of a plurality of cars coupledtogether regardless of the type of body construction of such cars.

4. Apparatus for detecting the passage of railway c'ars along a trackcomprising, a light source and a light sensitive unit responsive to suchlight, said source and unit located on opposite sides of the track oneabove the height of the car couplers and the other below such height anddisposed with respect to each other such thata lightbeam directed fromthe source toward the unit crosses the center line of the track at theheight of: said'car-couplers, and a signaling device controlled by saidunit whereby the passage of a plurality of cars coupled together isdetected without an interruption even when the cars have unusual bodyconstruction.

5. Apparatus for detecting the passage of railway cars along a trackcomprising, a light source and a light sensitive unit responsive to thelight from said source, said source and unit located on opposite sidesof the track directly opposite each other and disposed at such unequalheights with respect to the top of the track rails that a light beamdirected from the source toward the unit crosses the center line of thetrack at the height of the car couplers, and a signaling devicecontrolled by said-unit for continuously detecti-ng passage of a singlecar and of a plurality of cars coupled together.

6. Apparatusfor detecting the passage of railway cars along a trackcomprising, a light source and a light sensitive unit responsive to thelight from said source, said source and unit located on opposite sidesof the track directly opposite each other and disposed at unequalheights with respect to the top of the rails in such a manner that thelight beam from said unit slopes upwardly to intercept cars at thecoupling center line, and-signaling means controlled by said unit forcontinuously detecting the passage of a plurality of cars coupledtogether.

7. Apparatus for detecting the passage of railway c-ars along a trackcomprising, a light source located outside of one rail and below thelevel of the top of the rails, said source positioned to project a lightbeam across the track at right angle to the track rails and upwardly tocross the track center line at substantially two feet 10 ten andone-half inches above the rail siu'faces,

a light sensitive unit responsive to the light from said source andlocated on the outside of the other rail in the path of said light beam,and signaling means controlled by said unit.

8. Apparatus for detecting the passage of railway cars along a trackcomprising, a light source located outside of one of the rails and at aheight approximately the same as the top of such rail, said sourcedisposed todirect a light beam across the track upwardly at an angle tocause the path of the beam to be intercepted by the couplers of a car aswell as by the car body, a light sensitive unit located on the outsideof the other rail and disposed at a height to be in the path of saidlight beam, and a signaling device controlled by said unit for detectingthe passage of a plurality of cars coupled together without aninterruption.

JOHN W. LOGAN, JR.

